Cloth-measuring machine.



PA'IENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

cfs. BoTsPoRD.

CLOTH MEASURING MACHINE, ArPLIoATIoN FILED 513.28. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Ckalnaarc www C. S. BOTSFORD.

CLOTH MEASURI-NG MACHINE.

umlouwn FILED 11:13.29, 1907.

PATENTED AUG. 2o, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

cams suns ca.,

cymmmym wAsmNqaN, n. c.

CHARLES S. BO'ISFORD, OF PETERBORO, ONTARIO, CAN-ADA. l

CLOTH-IKEASURING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed February 28, 1907- Serial No. 359,751.

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BoTsFoRn, a subject ofthe King of Great Britain, residing at Peterboro, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Measuring Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for measuring cloth and for rolling and blocking the same for stock taking purposes, for checking the lengths of new goods and for other similar purposes; and it has for its object to provide an organized machine of this class which shall possess superior advantages in the points of simplicity, durability and general eiliciency.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and assemblage of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention; it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of one of the bolt holding clamps. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of another bolt holding clamp.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The frame of the improved machinefcomprises the side members or uprights A and B which are connected by means of the rods 2-2 upon which the several cloth guiding rolls of the machine are mounted or supported. Said side members are provided with upwardly extending and laterally divergent brackets 3-3 wherein the shafts carrying the bolt holding clamps are supported for rotation.

The side members of the frame are provided with bearings for a shaft 4 carrying a balance Wheel 5 having a crank 6 whereby it may be rotated. Said shaft also carries a sprocket wheel 7 which is connected by means of a link belt with the sprocket wheel 9 upon a shaft 10 carrying one of the clamps C whereby the board 11 upon which the cloth or fabric is to be wound and blocked is supported for operation. The shaft 10 is journaled in one of the brackets 3 connected with the side member A at one side of the'machine; and said shaft is in axial alinement with another shaft 12 which is slidably mounted in a sleeve 13 mounted for rotation in one of the brackets 3 connected with the side mem ber B at the opposite side of the machine; said shaft 12 being provided with a longitudinal groove 14 engaged by a spline or feather 15 connected with the sleeve 13 so that said shaft and sleeve will rotate in unison. The sleeve 13 carries a sprocket wheel 16 connected by a chain 17 with a sprocket wheel 18 secured upon the shaft 4 adjacent to the frame member B. A board clamp C is mounted upon the slidable shaft 12.

The clamps C each comprise a pair of levers or clamping members 19 having laterally projecting lugs or ears 20 whereby they are pivoted upon the inner ends of the shafts 10 and 12; springs 21 being interposed between said levers to force their bore engaging terminals apart from each other. The clamp carrying shafts are each provided with a screw threaded portion 22 upon which is mounted a nut 23 in the shape of a disk to enable it to be conveniently adjusted; said nut being provided with a cone shaped projection 24 entering between the clamping levers 19 for the purpose of actuating the latter against the tension of the spring 21 to exercise a gripping action upon the board 11 which is introduced between the gripping ends of said levers. The board upon which the cloth or fabric is to be wound` and blocked may thus be conveniently connected with the clamp carrying shafts; and the shaft 12, as will be seen, may be readily adjusted so as to accommodate boards of different lengths.

-The clamp carrying shafts 10 and 12 are mounted upon the brackets 3-3 at the front part of the machine; other shafts 10/ and 12 of similar construction are similarly mounted in the brackets 3 connected with the side members A and B at the rear part of the frame of the machine, said shaft carrying clamps C for the purpose of engaging the board from which a bolt of cloth or fabric is to be taken for the purpose of measuring the same. The clamps C differ from the clamps C in this respect only, that the clamping levers here designated 19 are elongated and narrow as compared with the clamping levers 19 of the clamps C this construction being found advantageous for the purpose of enabling the engaging ends of said levers to be conveniently inserted between the cloth or fabric and the board upon which said cloth or fabric is blocked.

A pair of cloth guiding rolls 26 are mounted for rotation upon the rods or shafts 2 in the lower part ofthe frame. A third cloth guiding roll 27 is supported for rotation upon links 28 that are pivoted upon the frame members A and B above the rolls 26, said links being supported by means of coiled springs 29, one of which appears in Fig. 2 of the drawings; one of the links 28 is connected with the frame by means of a flexible member such as a chain 30 whereby the movement of the links carrying the guide roll 27, under the tension of the springs 29, will be limited when the machine is not in operation. A fourth guide roll 31 is supported for rotation in brackets 32 that project forwardly from the frame members A and B. The several guide rolls 26, 27 and 31 are provided with guide disks "33 disposed adjacent to the frame member A; said guide disks being provided with engaging faces 34 of arcuate or segmental cross-section for the purpose of avoiding injury to the edge of the fabric that is being measured by frictional contact with the edges of the disks.

The bracket 32 projecting from the frame mem ber A carries a casing 35 wherein is journaled the shaft spindle 36 ot a measuring wheel 37, the periphery of which is adapted for frictional contact with the `cloth or fabric guided over the roll 31. The casing -35 contains registering or recording mechanism of any suitable well known construction whereby the number of rotations of the wheel 37 will be registered, thus registering the length of the fabric that is guided over the roll; the periphery of the wheel 37 being obviously of predetermined and known dimensions.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood and appreciated. The bolt or remnant oi material that is to be measured is supported by the clamps C upon the shafts 10 and 12/, and the board upon which the material is to be wound is mounted in the clamps C-C upon the shafts 10 and l2; it being understood that the shafts 12 and 12 are slidably supported so that boards of varying lengths may be accommodated. The free end of the fabric is guided over the roll 27, thence under the rolls 26, thence over the roll 31 and to the board 11 supported by the clamps 'C-C with which latter board the free end of the fabric is connected by winding it thereupon a few times; the edge of the fabric being guided between the roll 3l and the measuring wheel 37. After the fabric has been thus adjusted, the shaft carrying the balance wheel 5 is rotated by means of a crank 6, motion being thus transmitted to the shafts 10 and 12 having the board supporting clamps C, and thus winding the fabric or material upon the board 11 supported by said clamps. The guide roll 27 also constitutes a tension roll whereby the fabric is kept taut and smooth during the operation of rewinding, and the cloth or fabric will thus be wound tightly and evenly upon the board 11; the guide disks 33 upon the several rolls will serve to prevent lateral movement of the fabric during the process of measuring and rewinding. The material7 when thus rewound or blocked will present a smooth and fresh appearance and the operation may be performed very explicitly and in a thoroughly efcient and satisfactory manner.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new is:-

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame comprising suitably connected sidefmembers having upwardly extending divergent brackets, a driving shaft supported for rotation in said side members, a shaft journaled in the supported for rotation at one side of the frame, sleeves supported for rotation at the opposite side of the frame, slidable shafts supported in said sleeves for rotation therewith in axial alinement with the shafts supported in the side of the frame first referred to, board engaging clamps supported upon the several shafts at the two sides of the machine, and means for rotating in unison two of said shafts which are disposed in axial alinement at the two' sides of the frame.

3. In a lnachine of the class described, .a suitable frame, guide rolls supported therein and two pairs of clamp carrying shafts mounted for rotation at the two sides or ends of the frame, the clamp carrying shafts at one side of the frame being also disposed for longitudinal sliding movement, and the pairs of shafts at vthe opposite sides of the frame being disposed in axial alinement, in combination with means for positively rotating in unison two of the clamp carryingr shafts which are disposed `in axial alinement at opposite sides of the frame.

4. In a machine of the class described, a pair of shafts supported for rotation in axial alinement, yone of said shafts being longitudinally slidable in its bearings and said shafts having screw threaded portions in combination with pairs of levers pivoted upon the ends of the shafts upon said threaded portions thereof and nuts upon said threaded portions having cone shaped members extending between the adjacent ends of the levers.

5. ln a machine of the class described, a clamping device comprising a shaft having a screw threaded portion, a pair of levers pivoted upon the shaft adjacent to the `threaded portion, a nut uponthe threaded portion of the shaft having a cone shaped member extending between the adjacent ends of the levers, and a spring interposed -between the ends of the 4levers to force the latter apart from each other.

G. In a machine of the class described, a frame, clamp carrying 'shafts supported for rotation in said frame, means for positively rotating two of said shafts Which are disposed in axial alinement with each other, guide rolls supported in the frame and an auxiliary guide roll supported for rotation in a pair of links pivotally connected with the frame.

7. In a machine of the class described, a cloth guiding tension roll supported for rotation in a pair of links pivoted upon the frame of the machine, springs connected with said vlinks to support the roll, and flexible members connecting said links with the frame Ato limit the movement of -the links under the tension of the springs.

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame, clamp carrying shafts journaled in the frame, cloth guiding rolls supported for rotation in the frame and a cloth guiding tension roll supported for rotation in a pair of spring supported links pivoted upon the frame, said cloth guiding rolls being provided with guide disks having engaging faces of segmental or arcuate cross-section.

9. In a machine of the class described, a frame, Apairs of shafts journaled at the two sides of the frame, the shafts at one side of the frame being longitudinally slidable in their bearings, board engaging clamps upon the several shafts, means for positively driving in unison two of said shafts supported at opposite sides of the frame in axial alinement with each other, rods or shafts connecting the side members of the frame, cloth guiding rolls supported for rotation upon said rods or shafts, spring supported links pivoted upon the sides of the frame, a cloth guiding tension roll supported for rotation in said links, means for limiting the movement of the links under the tension of the springs, brackets extending forwardly from the side members of the frame, a cloth guiding roll supported for rotation in said brackets, a measuring wheel supported for rotation upon one of the brackets adjacent to said guide roll, and guide disks upon the several cloth guiding rolls including the tension roll, said disks having engaging faces of segmental or arcuate cross-section.

In testimony whereof, I ainx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. BOTSFORD.

Witnesses:

A. P. Psnwn'rcr, R. A. W. HAY. 

